NextEra Energy Resources, a subsidiary of Florida’s NextEra Energy, is to build Wisconsin’s largest solar project – the 100MW Solar Energy Centre in Point Beach.
The facility will sit next to the Point Beach nuclear power plant. It is scheduled to come online in 2021. Once operational, the mammoth project will serve more than 23,000 people annually with clean energy.
NextEra has teamed up with WPPI Energy, a non-profit regional power company present in Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Iowa, via a 20-year PPA.
“This solar energy centre adds diversity to WPPI Energy's power supply portfolio in a way that's more cost-effective than other opportunities currently available to us,” said Mike Peters, president and CEO of WPPI Energy. “In addition, WPPI Energy has achieved significant emissions reductions over the past 10 years, and the clean, renewable energy generated by this project will help us continue that effort.”
NextEra will be responsible for the construction and operation of the project. It is estimated to create around 150-200 jobs during the construction phase, which typically lasts six-nine months.
“We are pleased to partner with WPPI Energy to bring the largest universal solar energy centre to Wisconsin,” said Mike O'Sullivan, senior vice president of development for NextEra Energy Resources. “This energy centre will harness the state's own sunshine to create clean, renewable energy, as well as good-paying jobs and increased tax revenue for the state and local community.”